Financial Aid

Catlin Gabel School is committed to making its education affordable to families from a wide economic range. Although families bear the primary responsibility for financing their child's education to the extent that they are able, need-based financial aid is available to enrolled or prospective students to offset the difference between the family’s resources and the child’s total educational expenses.

Need-based financial aid grants do not need to be paid back. The grants are used to offset tuition costs and other associated expenses, however all families are expected to pay at least a small portion of the cost of attending Catlin Gabel School. The money for these grants comes from Catlin Gabel School donor gifts, annual fund raising, and tuition revenue.

When determining financial need, we use formulas devised by the School and Student Service for Financial Aid (SSS). Parents complete the Parents’ Financial Statement (PFS) and send it with a processing fee to SSS in Princeton, NJ. Both the financial aid applicant family and Catlin Gabel School receive the SSS Report of Family Contribution (RFC). The RFC, along with 1040 tax forms, supporting schedules, and copies of W-2 forms become the basis for Catlin Gabel’s decision on each grant.

Many aspects of a family’s financial situation are considered when determining financial need including: the incomes of both parents (taxable and non-taxable), the assets held by the family, the number of dependents, the age of both parents, and the number of children attending tuition-charging schools. Allowances are made for living expenses, retirement, taxes, medical costs, unusual expenses, debts, and a modest standard of living. If the family income increases beyond that level, Catlin Gabel School considers that money to be available for discretionary purposes and expects a family to use a portion of that money for educational expenses.

In any given year, 23 percent of the student body receives some form of financial assistance; 16% in the form of need based aid and 7% in the form of tuition remission. For the 2004-2005 academic approximately $1 million was awarded in need based financial aid to families whose income ranged from $8,000 to approximately $125,000.

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